Pic Credit: ROHWrestling.com

Before continuing on, here are the topics that Jim Cornette talked about:
-What everyone should do in a basic promo.
-What makes a good babyface promo.
-What characteristics a babyface should have.
-What makes a good heel promo.
-What characteristics a heel should have.
-Cornette gives advice on how to make a promo feel real.
-What a good "go home" promo should have.
-Working as a babyface.
-Working as a heel.
-How to pace a match.
-Making a crowd go up and down like a yoyo.
-How to build drama in a match.
-How a heel can set the tone of a match.
-How a babyface can set the tone of a match.
-What makes a good tag team.
-Working a tag team match.
-Perfect tag teams in wrestling history.
-Storytelling in a match.
-What mistakes many make in matches today.
-How two babyfaces can work against each other without hurting their standing as a babyface.
-How a heel can command attention from the crowd.
-Showing your face while selling.
-The importance of listening to the crowd.
-Mistakes made in selling.
-The role of the manager/valet/second.
-When the right time is to interfere.
-When a manager should and shouldn't put attention on him/herself.
-How to do a gimmick match such as a steel cage match.
-Mistakes made in gimmick matches.
-How to make a world title match seem more important.
-How to work a title match compared to a normal match.

As you can tell by reading the topic listing, this is not your normal shoot interview. While Cornette does shoot on some people, this interview is about talking about how to do things in the business, rather than what Cornette did in the business. This DVD is pretty much a "How-To" guide. While other companies and wrestlers have exposed the business by showing the magic of wrestling, (The Harley Race TV Special comes to mind) this interview teaches how to get over in wrestling. Instead of showing you how there are plants in the crowd, how wrestlers fake punches and how the referee tells the wrestlers what's going on in the ring, this DVD shows you how to work a crowd, what points to hit while doing a promo and how you tell a story in the ring. The DVD is more of an instructional tool, rather than an expose.

Jim Cornette is a funny guy. For one, I didn't realize he had a mouth like a drunken sailor. When he gets passionate about something, (Like he does 95% of the time in this DVD) he curses up a storm. When talking about how to do something in wrestling, Cornette comes up with some of the funny expressions. You can tell he cares alot about wrestling and has no problem telling everyone what he thinks, and that's why he's in charge of OVW.

This DVD is really more for people in the business. Watching it from a fans-eye view, you appreciate what guys have to do to get over. You'll understand what Cornette is saying, but it's not like you'd ever be able to use what Cornette tells you in your daily life. This interview doesn't have any crazy stories, so I don't see too many fans having much to talk about after watching this. This interview, to me at least, is designed exclusively for indy wrestlers and managers. If you're an indy wrestler or manager, then this DVD is a gold mine for you. Cornette tells you everything he knows about getting over, how to work a crowd, how to cut a promo, how to get over by doing the least amount of damage to your body as possible and so much more. As a fan, this might come off dry and useless, but for someone struggling to climb the ladder in the wrestling business, this DVD is Harvard on film.

Cornette doesn't really say anything controversial in this DVD. He does put down the booking philosophies of Paul Heyman and Vince Russo, but you can tell Cornette respects Heyman, while he despises Russo. Cornette talks very little about his career, but uses his career to tell you why things work and don't work.

As a fan watching this, you realize that there is so much more to being a wrestler, than just knowing how to wrestle. There are a million different ways to get over, and everyone is different, but in the end if you can't connect with the crowd, you're not going to get many bookings. This DVD tells you why some things work and why some things don't work. He explains in detail about all the little things in wrestling, which when combined, is a big thing.

Included at the end of this DVD is a short package about what ROH is all about. Several clips of matches from several shows are shown, and I think ROH should use this package to advertise on WWE or TNA programming to expose themselves to more fans. It was nicely done, and if it was broken down from 7 minutes to 1-2 minutes, I think alot more jaded WWE fans would want to find out what ROH is all about.

Final McWord
This is one of the more unique DVD's I've ever watched. Jim Cornette is a great subject for this interview. As a hardcore wrestling fan, you will enjoy listening to him speak. Cornette obviously knows what he's talking about, and for casual fans, this DVD will open you up to a whole other side of pro wrestling.

I think this concept that ROH came up with can be good or bad. The reason I think it's bad is because you're going to have alot of smart marks watch this and consider themselves experts after watching this. It's bad enough some fans shit on certain wrestlers because it's the cool thing to do, but after watching this, I think it will give more smart marks the ability and knowledge to dump on certain guys. And why not? I do believe that some fans "get it" more than certain indy wrestlers anyway. By having this DVD out there, it puts wrestlers and fans on the same playing field and opens up fans to criticize wrestlers in a whole new way.

I think this DVD is also great, if you're in the business. It's definitely an educational tool, just like how ROH is promoting it. If there was a Wrestling 101 class to become a wrestler, I can see Professor Kayfabe assigning a 10 page essay about this DVD. This interview is full of concepts and theory, and by watching this, it really shows how wrestling is a science. I got the feeling that by studying what Cornette teaches here, is no different than studying Chemistry or Biology concepts. Wrestling truly is a science, and only the top pupils succeed.

Overall-
If you're a wrestler or a manager then this DVD can help your career. If you're a fan, you're going to be exposed to a different side of wrestling. This DVD is certainly highly recommended for people in the business, but if you're a fan you might want to save your 20 bucks for a wrestling ticket or show on DVD, because you will enjoy it more. If you're a hardcore fan who needs to know about every little thing in wrestling, then this is worth picking up and checking out. If I was ROH, I'd give this DVD to every wrestler on the roster, because it could only enrich their minds and produce better matches, which will lead to better shows.

To pick up this DVD, check out http://www.rohwrestling.com or go to Jim Cornette Interview

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com